1. How Realistic can Fiction Really Be?

4. Checklist for Selecting Realistic Fiction Books Bucher,K.,andM.L.Manning.&quot;CharacteristicsofGoodRealisticFiction.&quot; Education.com .PearsonAllynBaconPrenticeHall,2006. <http://www.education.com>.Rpt.in YoungAdultLiterature Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation . N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print. (http://www.education.com/reference/article/characteristics-good-realistic-fiction/) http://www.shutterstock.com Does this genre relate to your own life? Does the title/topic engage you? What moral lessons can you learn from this novel? Is it believable and realistic?

6. Want to be part of our school’s Book Club? Here are some starter points to get the discussion going…Use the “Discussion Starters” Bookmark. Discussion Starters This genre was… This author writes in a way that is … I enjoyed the book because … I was shocked when … I liked this section of writing because … My favourite part was … because … The main character was … because … The plot was … The setting was … The ending was … I could not believe when … Curriculum and Accountability Department. Literature Circles A Support Document for Grades 3 to 10 Revised 2003 . Toronto: Toronto Catholic District School Board, 2003. Print.

7. Some “Great Reads” Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff Novel Synopsis The story takes place in Hollis Woods where a spirited young artist was abandoned at an early age. It is through her drawings that we, the readers, learn of her experiences at various foster homes and her deep desire to belong to a family. Throughout the novel, the author uses the drawings and their related memories of the past along with Hollis’ experiences in the present so that a mystery emerges, encouraging the reader to continue reading. A number of themes are revealed in this novel, including “belonging,” “family,” “friendship,” “abandonment,” “truth,” and “hope.” Picture taken from: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440415787

8. Double or Nothing by Dennis Foon Novel Synopsis Double or Nothing is an excellent, easy to read book with a powerful theme that relates well with teenagers: gambling and addiction. This is a “must read” book for all students, especially teen boys. The book is categorized as “Realistic Fiction” and the story is told in the words of a young teenage boy named Kip, who lives the reality of gambling and how he becomes addicted and gets deeper and deeper in trouble. This story shows how an ordinary student gets addicted to gambling, lives a life of lies and desperation that eventually unravels and exposes the truth about all his lies and gambling addiction. One would think and hope that he would have learned from this: however, the ending of the book leaves us hanging, insinuating that he is headed down the same path again. Picture taken from : www.dennisfoon.com

9. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan Novel Synopsis This books’ narrative is divided between two teenage characters, both sharing the same name. Neither boy knows the other, but eventually they meet, by chance. Each “Will Grayson” is trying to survive high school and its challenges. One Will Grayson is trying to get through high school without drawing attention to himself. Unfortunately this is difficult because his best friend “may be the world’s largest person who is really, really gay”. The other will grayson (writes name in lower case) is battling depression and is suspicious about all the people, except for a boy with whom he talks online. The two Will Grayson’s stories are completely independent of each other until a particular incident results in the two boys meeting. Their lives intersect, resulting in both of them becoming more comfortable with who they are, and life in general. The set up of this book is quite unusual in as much as it is written by two authors. Each author writes for his particular Will Grayson every other chapter. This works quite well as each character has a very distinct voice. The tone of the book is funny and heart wrenching. Both authors show great insight and sensitivity into the teenage mind and they deal quite sensitively with many of the issues teenagers struggle with today. Picture taken from: http://johngreenbooks.com/will-grayson/

10. Submitted on behalf of: Mary DiBiase Jackie Kielbasiewicz Deb Mayne Images taken from: Microsoft PowerPoint and www.shutterstock.com